Combination drinking cup and water vending machine



May 17, 1932. c. woLFE 1,858,758

COMBINATION DRINKING CUPAND WATER VENDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 50, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 R. C. WOLFE May 17,1932.

COMBINATION DRINKING CUP AND WATER VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 50} 1930 Patented May 17, 1932 UNITED sr ressgss RICHARD C. WOLFE, OF LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOB TO'GALIFORNIA CON- SOLIDATED WATER 00. OF LQS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF DELA- WARE COMBINATION DRINKING CUP AND WATER VENDING MACHINE Application filed October 30, 1930. Serial No. 492,250.

This invention relates to liquid dispensing devices, and more especially to a device for dispensing drinking water.

An object of the invention is to provide a drinking water dispensing device having in combination therewith a cup dispenser so interconnected to the mechanism of the water dispensing apparatus that both devices may be operated by moving a single actuating element.

Another object is to provide an auxiliary reservoir in a device of the character described, into which a predetermined quantity of drinking water is delivered when the cup and water dispensing apparatus are actuated, the auxiliary reservoir being provided with a manually operable valve which may be released at any time subsequent to the operation of the dispensing apparatus, permitting the operator to place the cup delivered by the cup dispenser, below theoutlet from the auxiliary reservoir before the water is withdrawn therefrom.

Another object is to provide an improved dispensing apparatus having the above described characteristics, which' is of such a nature that it lends itself particularly well for use inconjunction with that type of liquid dispensing device which is provided with an automatic refrigerating unit whereby the temperature of the water is kept below a predetermined maximum.

The invention possesses other objects and advantageous features, some of which, with those enumerated, will be set forth in the following description of the inventions particular embodiment which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a combination dispensing device embodying the principles of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical medial sectional view,

the plane of which may be considered to have been taken uponthe line 22 of Fig. 3, with the direction of view as indicated.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the line 33 of Fig. 2, with the direction of view as indicated.

Fig. l is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the dispensing dipper swung to that position in which it is enabled to pour its contents into the auxiliary reservoir. A portion of the figure is broken away to reduce its length. i

In terms of broad inclusion, the present invention contemplates the combination with a receptacle dispensing device, preferably of well known design, of a mechanism for dis pensing a predetermined quantity of liquid such as drinking water, the parts being so interconnected that they may be operated simultaneously by the actuation of a single operating handle or its equivalent. However,

the auxiliary reservoir is provided with a faucet accessibleexteriorly of the device and operable manually to control the flow of liquid from the auxiliary reservoir,"permitting the operator to remove the receptacle from the receptacle dispenser and place it below the faucet before the liquid is permitted to fiow therefrom.

i Q Specifically describing the invention in that embodiment which at present appears to be the most practical, my combination drinking cup and water vending machine comprises a cabinet 6 having front, rear and side walls/7, 8 and 9, respectively, and supported preferably upon suitable supporting legs 11. lVithin the lower portion of the cabinet 6 is positioned an automatic refrigerating mechanism, indicated in its entirety at;-12, thecooling coils 13 of the refrigerating mechanism being positioned within the upper portion of the cabinet 6. A reservoir 14 is also provided in the upper portion of the cabinet6, closed at its upper end by atop 16, which also serves as the top for the entire cabinet. Preferably, a partition 17 separates the reservoir 14 from the compartment 18 within which the cooling coils 13 are disposed, and which preferably contains brine 19. T

' The .top 16 is provided with an opening 21, through which the neck 22 of a bottle 28, or other suitable supply receptacle, may extend into the reservoir 14, it being understood that this particular modification of-the invention is adapted to dispense drinking waterwhich top 32 and tapering plurality of holes 37,

gallon capacity. A bushing 24, preferably of resilient material, is interposed between the top 16 and the bottle 23 to assist in supporting the bottle 23 rigidly and in excluding dust and other contaminating agents from the reservoir 14. Preferably, the reservoir 14 is spaced from the walls of the cabinet 6 by a partition 26 extending completely therearound, so as to provide a dead air space 27, the purpose of which is to increase the efficiency of the entire cooling apparatus.

As will readily be understood, the fact that the neck 22 of the bottle 23 projects into the reservoir 14 causes the'level of the water 28 within the reservoir 14 to be maintained at a predetermined height, inasmuch as whenever suificient water is Withdrawn from the reservoir 14 to lowerthe level below 'the'mouth of the bottle air will be permitted to enter the bottle and displace sufficient water'therefr'oni to again bring the level of the water within the reservoir 14 up to the mouth of the bottle.

, An auxiliary reservoir 31 is provided'inside the reservoir 14, preferably upon that portion of the partition 26 which forms the forward wall of the reservoir 14. This aux iliarly reservoir 31 is substantially: funnel shaped in configuration, being open at the downwards to a conduit 33 which extends through the partition 26 and front wall 7 of the cabinet 6. 'A manually operable faucet 34 is secured to that end of the conduit 33 which is exposed exteriorl'y of the cabinet; and below the faucet 34 a'tray'36 is provided, the parts being so proportioned and arranged that a drinking cup may be supported thereupon below the faucet 34. The bottoinof the tray3 6 is provided witha whereby waste water maybe conveyed to a drain tube 38 which leads tolany suitable point of discharge.

The open upper end of the auxiliary reservoir 31 is positioned above the level at which water 28 within the upper surface of the reservoir 14 is maintained, with the result that water cannot flow directly from the reservoir 14 into the auxiliary reservoir 31. Hence, the only way in which water can be delivered to the auxiliary reservoir is through the expedient of the dipper '41, which is mounted rigidly upon a shaft 42 which extends transversely of the reservoir 14-adjacentthe open upper end of the auxiliary reservoir 31. determined capacity, preferably 'approxr mately one-half pint. The capacity'of the dipper 41 is'determinedby the height to which the side 43 thereof 'remote 'froni the shaft 42 extends, the other sides-of the dipthe side 43 to provide guiding walls whereby er 41 extending beyond the upper edge of thecontents of. thedipp'er 41 are pouredinto the auxiliary reservoir '31 through its open end when the dipper 41' is tipped substantially to the position inwhich it is illus- The dipper 41 is of prepoured into the auxiliary reservoir 31 when the dipper 41 is actuated.

Movement of the-dipper 41 is effected by turning the shaft 42 through a predetermined are, preferably substantially 90.

For this purpose the shaft 42 is journaled Within a side wall 9 of the cabinet 6, and within the partiti'on'2 6, as best shown upon Fig. 3. I prefer to extendthe shaft '42 t'hr'ough'a Sleeve 44 which is secured at one end to the partition '26 by a nut 45 having a rubber washer 46thereunder. The other end of the sleeve 44 extends through'the wall 9 and is provided with a stuffing box 47 having a gland nut 48 whereby packing 49 may be pressed against the shaft 42 to prevent leak- 1:1;

age of water therepast.

The receptacle dispenser which I employ in conjunctlon with the water vending nia- (311111818 preferably a coin-controlled cup dispensing device of wellknown design mount- 5 ed upon the side f the cabinet "6, through which theshaft 42 extends, asuitabl'e bracket 51 rigid with the side 9 being employed for this purpose. In view 'of the fact that the details of construction of the-cup dispenser 1-1? 52 form no portion of the present invention, it need not be describedi-n detail herein, beyond explaining that it is provided with a magazine 53 adapted to containa plurality ofpaper drinking cups, and leading downwards into a housing 54',within which a rotary element 56 is mounted for reciproca-ble rotation :througha predetermined arc. The are through which this -rot ary :e'leinentturns is 'usually in the neighborhood of 90. An

operating handle 57rigid with the rotaryelement 56 extends through an arcuate slot 58 in-Qthe "outer wall of the housing 54, whereby the rotaryelement'56. may be turned through that arc which is necessary to cause the cup dispenser 52 to deliver a cup through arropening '59 in the housing 54. This particular design of cup dispenser '52 is particularly adaptable for use in the'presen't connection, because of the fact that the same type ofinotion, 'to-wit, rotary motion, is necessary to actuate both the cup dispenserand the dipper 41 of the water dispenser. Moreover, :the'arc through which each of these devices turns issubstantially the same. Consequently, interconnection of these two portions of the device is very easily accomplished merely by mounting the cup dispenser 52 upon the side 9 of theecabineth, withits rotaryelem'ent 5 6 disposedcoaxially with respect to the shaft 42, and by fastening the shaft 42 rigidly to the rotary element 56, with the result that when the handle 57 is moved in the manner necessary for actuating the cup dispenser 52 the dipper 41 is simultaneously actuated.

Operation The action necessary on the part of the operator, after having inserted a suitable coin into a slot provided in the housing 54 of the cup dispenser, is to depress the handle 57 The rotary element 56 has a pocket 61 therein, which, as the handle 57 is depressed, will move from registry with the magazine 53 into registry with the opening 59, carrying with it a cup which it has previously received from the magazine. This movement of the rotary element 56 will turn the shaft in such a manner as to withdraw the dipper 41 from the water within which it was immersed, swinging it to substantially the position indicated upon Fig. 4, this causing the dipper to empty its contents into the auxiliary receptacle 31. However, this predetermined quantity of water cannot flow immediately from the outlet conduit 33 because the faucet 34 is normally closed. This enables the operator to withdraw the dispensed cup from the opening 59 of the cup dispenser 52, and place it below the faucet 34 before withdrawing all or a portion of the water which has been supplied to the auxiliary receptacle. Upon release of the handle 57 the parts will return automatically to initial position, and again immersing the dipper in the water within the reservoir 14-, and placing the pocket 61 in registry with the magazine 53 to receive another cup therefrom.

It is to be understood that the details of the invention as herein disclosed, are subject to alteration within the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a reservoir adapted to contain a liquid, an auxiliary reservoir having an outlet, means for controlling flow through said outlet, a receptacle dispensing device mounted upon said reservoir and having a rotary element adapted to dispense a receptacle each time it is rotated through a predetermined arc, a shaft ournaled in said reservoir adjacent said auxiliary reservoir and connected to said rotary element to be turned simultaneously therewith, and a dipper of predetermined capacity mounted upon said shaft and adapted to be immersed in the liquid within said reservoir when the shaft is in one extreme position, and adapted to discharge its contents into said auxiliary reservoir when the shaft is turned to its other extreme position.

2. In combination, a main reservoir adapted to contain a liquid, means for supplying said liquid thereto and for maintaining said liquid at a predetermined level therein, an

auxiliary reservoir havin an opening at thetop, said opening being a ove said level, an outlet conduit leading from said auxiliary reservoir to the exterior of said reservoir, a manually operable valve in said conduit, a shaft extending through a wall of said main reservoir and journalled intermediate its ends in said wall, a dipper of predetermined capacity mounted upon one end of said shaft, a receptacle dispensing device mounted on said reservoir and having a rotary element adapted to dispense a receptacle each time it is turned through a predetermined arc, said shaft at the other end thereof being connected to said rotary element to be turned thereby in one direction to immerse said dipper in the liquid within said reservoir andin the other direction to pour the contents of the dipper through the opening in the top of said auxiliary reservoir.

3. In combination, a main reservoir adapted to contain a liquid, an auxiliary reservoir having a valve outlet, a receptacle dispensing device mounted upon said main reservoir and having a rotary element adapted to dispense a receptacle each time it is rotated through a predetermined arc, a shaft journaled between its ends to said main reservoir adjacent said auxiliary reservoir and connected at one end to said rotary element to be turned simultaneously therewith, and a dipper mounted upon the other end of said-shaft and adapted to be immersed in the liquid within said main reservoir when the shaft is in one extreme position and adapted to discharge its contents into said auxiliary reservoir when the shaft is turned to its other extreme position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

RICHARD C. WOLFE. 

